GOLDEN girl Ellie Simmonds has been named the face of the London 2012 Paralympics

Ellie, from Walsall, captured the imagination of the sporting public with her emotional double success in Beijing in 2008 at the age of 13.

In little more than 12 months the Olympics will close but it will not be the end of the London showpiece – in fact Paralympians say the Olympics is merely the warm-up.

Ellie, who will be 17 next May, said she was apprehensive about the Games, but also eager to take the plunge.

She said: “It’s exciting, but also scary, because I know I’ve got a lot of pressure on me.

“For myself pressure is really good – it drives me forward, so that’s good. I’m going to be quite nervous but I think there’s going to be pressure on the whole team.

“It’s not just going to be me, it’s going to be the team because it’s a home Games.

“But we’re really excited and looking forward to it.”

Ellie’s success in Beijing was unexpected, but since she has continued to deal with pressure, break world records and win major titles.

Soon after completing her GCSE exams this summer, she travelled to Berlin for the IPC Swimming European Championships, the final major event before the Paralympics.

She claimed world records and gold medals in the 200metres individual medley and the 400m freestyle, but was beaten into second place in the 100m freestyle by Dutch rival Mirjam de Koning-Peper, who was 42 this month.

Ellie, who has Achondroplasia (dwarfism), said she knew the 2012 challenge would be tough.

She said: “My main rival is back and it’s going to be really hard to get what I did in Beijing.

“But it’s a home Games and we’re going to have a lot of support.”

She said that, under the guidance of her parents and her coach at Swansea, Billy Pye, she was determined to enjoy the final months prior to London.

She added: “After Beijing I thought four years away is ages. But now it’s only next year, it’s quite scary but also exciting.’’